Setting gas-meteks in the walls of buildings



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ALBERT POTTS,

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.y

SETTING GAS-METERS IN THE WALLS OF BUILDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,660, dated July 5, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT PoTTs, of thc city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania., have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjusting Gas-Meters to Buildings, whereby the said meter may be at any time examined by the gas companys agents Without entering the premises; and I do hereby declare that theA following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l, represents a front elevation of a building, and Figure 2, is a sectional view of the front Wall thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in adjusting a gas meter to an auxiliary case, so that the meter can be applied to buildings in such manner as to render practicable and convenient the examination of the same to ascertain its condition, or the amount of gas consumed, from the outside of the building.

'The introduction of meters in the front walls of houses in the manner proposed by Ine will greatly facilitate the operation of inspecting the meters and consequently lessen the annoyance, from persons entering the building, nonv attending the same. The meters will also be placed in a much more secure and desirable position, being thereby excluded from dust and moisture of cellars, and in the case of Wet meters, less liable to freeze in the Winter season, as the receptacle will be exposed to the heat from the parlor or room.

At any convenient place in the front Wall of the building at a suitable height above the level of the side-Walk or pavement, I propose to malte an opening through the wall as shown at A in Figs. l and 2. Immediately back, or in the rear, of this opening a` niche, or recess, must be made in the Wall for the purpose of forming the receptacle for the gas meter, as shown at C in Fig. 2.

In order to strengthen the Wall, and give the niche and opening, a neater iinish, I propose to embed therein the Wooden or metallic box as shown in Fig. 2. Two different views of this box, on an enlarged scale, are shown in Figs. 3 and 4f, the portion D, E, is intended to receive and hold the meters, and the projecting part, or nose F, G must pass through to the front surface of the Wall. On' the outside or end of this nose a hinged lid, or cover, may be attached as shown at K Fig. 2, and the same fastened with lock and key. The larger portion of this box D, E may also be provided with a door as shown at H, I in Fig. et. When it is preferred to place the receptacle and meter above the level of the first loor of the building, as shown at B in Figs. l and 2, and should it be desirable to conceal the portion exposed to View in the room, a pier table or any other suitable piece of furniture may be placed in front thereof between the t-Wo Windows. l The advantages of this improvement, over the present mode of placing gas meters in buildings, consists in the facility With Which the meters may at any time be inspected by the agents of the gas company Without necessarily being obliged to enter the premises. To afford this facility, it Will be readily understood from the description above given, that the meter is so placed in the receptacle, that the dials thereon are exposed to the view of an observer on the outside of the building, through the opening for the purpose made in the front of the wall as already shown at A in Fig. 2.

`What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi- The manner herein described of adjusting a gas meter to an auxiliary case, of the character substantially as specified, so that the meter is applied to a building in a neat and secure manner, and at the same time the examination of the same, to ascertain its condition, or the amount of gas consumed from the outside of t-he building is rendered practicable and convenient, all as and for the purposes herein set forth.

ALBERT POTTS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES PoTTs, JOHN APPLE. 

